


Chapter 700: Ascension of the Legendary Nanadaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto!

by Katie_Madison



Category: Naruto
Genre: Anbu Uchiha Sasuke, Character Study, Clan Leader Hyuuga Hinata, Coda, ENDING WE DESERVED, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Hokage Uzumaki Naruto, Humor, M/M, Medic Sakura Haruno, Multi, Open Ending, Pro-Equality!, Pro-Everyone!, Resolution, Social Justice, Uzumaki Naruto and Ramen, Uzumaki Naruto-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-28
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-11-28 01:51:20
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,800
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18201881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Katie_Madison/pseuds/Katie_Madison
Summary: BREAKING NEWS! It's the day Naruto has been dreaming of; his Hokage ascension! ☆Or...Is it?Naruto's come to realize that what it means to be Hokage is far different from what he had originally imagined. And although he welcomes the power and responsibility to do good - as he always has and always will - he's... got a lot to think about.Lucky for him, Hinata, Sakura and Sasuke (plus a healthy serving of Ichiraku ramen!) are there to help him do this RIGHT. And there's not much that the Number One Most Unpredictable Ninja can't do when he sets his mind to it!





	Chapter 700: Ascension of the Legendary Nanadaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto!

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Everyone In The Naruto Fandom](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Everyone+In+The+Naruto+Fandom).



> I've been having kind of a tumultuous week, so I wanted to write something to cheer me - and also everyone else - up! So here's my take on what a non-divisive, in-character epilogue chapter could have looked like; without the requisite ham-fisted plug for a cash-grab spinoff sequel ♡ ダッテバヨ !
> 
> All the characters here are represented in what I personally believe is their best reading. 
> 
> Please enjoy!

In actuality, the day of Naruto’s ascension was not perfectly bright and cheerful with chirping birds like he'd imagined it would be as a child; though it wasn’t pouring rain or anything morbid like that either. It was just a slightly chilly and misty day, the kind where sunlight difused and blurred through the air, compelling people to look at the ground to make sure they were not stepping on any toes or scurrying animals.

Although of course, it was just the perfect day for ramen.

So early in the afternoon, Naruto sat in his usual spot in Ichiraku Ramen, slurping down bowls of shio and miso soup; Ayame always making sure to layer in a few extra fishcakes and soft boiled egg slices, more then she would have for any other customer.

Teuchi, her father, was resting on a couch behind the stall, having cooked Naruto the day's first bowl of ramen with suppressed tears in his eyes, pressing a roughened hand atop his messy blond head. He hadn’t wanted to say anything to put more pressure on the young man before him, so he held himself together just long enough to cook that first round and retreat back so he could cry his proud tears in private.

A few moments after Naruto had started putting away his fourth bowl, the flap outside the door fluttered and Hyuuga Hinata peaked her head in. She bowed low before Ayame and cleared her throat to grab Naruto’s attention.

“I just made sure that things are ready outside,” she announced, looking down at a clipboard in her hands, “All the non-essential personnel from most of the clans are gathered around the Hokage monument, along with most of the civilian families as well... It might be time for you to head up?”

She looked up at Naruto and giggled a little as he nodded at her in acknowledgement with his cheeks still very full of soup, looking like a chipmunk. She wondered if it was normal to find it endearing when twenty-year-old men acted as unguarded and genuinely unconcerned for appearances as Naruto did… but well, she couldn't help it.

He really was too cute! 

Naruto blushed a little at her amused laughter and swallowed before nodding in agreement. He tried to pay his tab, but Ayame pushed away his attempts with surprising force for a civilian. He sighed with a smile and said thanks, not noticing how Ayame gave Hinata a wink. A little earlier in the week, the kunoichi had come down to Ichiraku Ramen and paid forward an entire year’s worth of ramen in Naruto’s name.

(As the new Hyuuga clan leader, Hinata had earned the privilege to buy her friends fantastic gifts for realizing their life goals, afterall.)

(And get rid of the Caged Bird Seal for _good!_ ) 

Together, they walked down the road to the Hokage office while Hinata went over all of the people he would need to shake hands with, all of the names of officials, ninja clan heads, and answers to any questions that people might have for him at his first Hokage address after inauguration.

Naruto fumbled a little, but Hinata reassured him that it was overall best for him to be honest and ask clarifications if he needed to.

As they stood before the giant Hokage office, Naruto took a shaky breath, startling a little when Hinata put her hand over his shoulder, squeezing once for comfort.

“You’ll do fine,” she reassured him, quiet but firm, “Everyone believes in you.”

Naruto looked at her with vulnerable, glassy eyes, and Hinata felt her breath catch in her throat. A part of her felt like blushing and stuttering under the intensity of his eyes, but she realized that this moment wasn’t about her and how she felt.

It was about Naruto; and her being a good friend to him, so she would support him her very best.

“And even if they didn’t,” she continued evenly, “It wouldn’t matter… because that’s how good of a person and a ninja you are. I’d bet anything on you, anytime.”

Naruto let out a such before putting his hand over her own hand on his shoulder, squeezing it before suddenly beginning to laugh; but also tearing up a little at the same time.

Hinata felt herself begin to flail despite herself. “I’m sorry! I probably… said that too casually! I can’t imagine the stress you must be under! I was just trying to… make you feel better!” she explained nervously, her clipboard trembling in her shaking hands.

“Please don’t-”

Naruto shook his head no and collected himself. “Nahh,” he gasped out, “I was just thinking about how much we’ve grown! Here you are, giving me all this reassurance – which definitely worked, and for which I am super grateful – and here I am, feeling the weight of the consequences of what it means to _be Hokage_ and being… overwhelmed by it even though I’ve wanted it my whole life! Is this what they call maturity? Damn!”

Hinata was momentarily speechless, but she soon felt herself laugh alongside her friend; even though she didn’t really even know what she was laughing about.

Naruto just had that effect on people.

Eventually, however, Hinata remembered herself and shooed Naruto into the Hokage building with instructions to go meet Sakura-san on the third floor, and not to get too distracted on his way!

Naruto nodded sagely at her words, but as soon as she turned her back on him, he was greeted by a whole group of academy students (followed by a very frazzled looking pair of chuunin teachers) who wanted to congratulate him and get his signature. By the time he managed to make it up to Sakura’s office, he was both extremely late, and giddy from all of the affection he had received.

Sakura sighed at the sight of Naruto before her, trying to close the door of her office without injuring any of the hordes of children (fans?) behind him, but it was an obviously fond sigh.

Not really a sigh at all.

“Yes, yes,” she called in her serious, doctor-voice, clapping her hands together and peaking around Naruto at the little chibis behind him, “I need to give Naruto-nii-san all of his shots and medications before he becomes Hokage, so unless you guys want your shots too…”

The kids fled, but not before receiving Naruto’s promise to drop by the academy later and play with all of them.

Naruto grinned sheepishly until Sakura reached forward and squeezed one of his scarred cheeks between her fingers; pulling, and saying, “I should have told Hinata-chan to knock you out and bring you to me over her shoulder instead. Do you know how late you are? Geez!”

Naruto apologized but the words came out garbled from Sakura still wiggling his face and stretching his lips weirdly.

Well, as long as he knew, right?

She stopped pinching his face and instead became compelled to rest her open palm against his cheek, stroking it back and forth a few times with green chakra, until the redness she had created faded away, and Naruto started letting out feline (vulpine?) sounding purrs.

Not long ago, Sakura had been able to look straight into Naruto’s eyes, or even look down at his shorter frame. Now, he was so tall that she had to fully extend her arm upwards. He had changed so much; although his eyes were still big, bright and intense like they had always been, his jaw had sharpened, and his clumsy and hyperactive moevements had settled fluidly into both his fighting style, and the way he held himself.

Naruto was attractive, Sakura had long known, but that had nothing to do with the way she felt her heart swell at having seen him come this far, standing before her as such a… _beautiful_ person for having weathered so much. Too much, honestly.

“Sorry for being so strict. I just seriously-, I want this to go perfectly, and I’m sure it will but… I can’t believe that that is really happening,” she said softly, pulling her hand away but still looking in Naruto’s eyes, “I mean, you’ve done everything you’d said you would do, and I knew you could, but… This is really... ”

Suddenly, Naruto stretched his own hands out before him and examined them in the light.

“I feel the same...,” he admitted quietly, “When I was a kid, I imagined that I’d be Hokage and everyone would acknowledge me… But now, I know that that’s not what being Hokage is really about… If… _When_ I take on this mantle, it’ll mean _more_ than just me leading everyone and being acknowledged by them… It’ll mean that it’s my responsibility to make things better for everyone too!”

He looked at Sakura with watery blue eyes, and Sakura instantly felt heat and pressure build in her own. Naruto had already done so much for her, for everyone; and now he was only thinking about how to do more?

He really was something else. He was so bright it hurt to look at sometimes.

“-But I’m really excited to get to do that too!” Naruto continued enthusiastically, charming in his childlike, boundless energy.

“Yeah,” Sakura said, reaching forward and wrapping her hands around Naruto’s, “I’m excited to see you do that too… And I’m going to help you every bit of the way.”

She was thrilled for Naruto to become Hokage and realize his lifelong ambition, of course, but how much more would Naruto have to suffer once he took on the title?

What burdens would he face?

She was so nervous for him, but she had long ago resolved herself to stand by Naruto’s side no matter. She was only grateful he kept giving her the opportunity, flawed as she was.

Naruto nodded quickly, the tears gone, and his eyes clear again. Sakura quickly ran all the necessary tests to make sure that Naruto was in perfect health, his clothes all reinforced with chakra and his weapons in order in case someone tried to pull a fast one and hurt Naruto when anyone least expected.

Although she didn’t know the full extent, she knew that certain people – even people inside their own village, like the old Hyuuga leaders, and Konoha elders – were unhappy with the message that Konoha was sending by having Naruto ascend.

She just had to trust that Sasuke-kun was… properly 'monitoring' those people and keeping them in-check.

_Wait._

Speaking of Sasuke-kun, who notoriously had no patience-,

“You’re late! Get to the top floor!” Sakura cried, shoving Naruto out of her office, “Sasuke-kun is waiting for you! He’ll take you to the inauguration location. I, Hinata, and everyone else will be in the crowd!”

Naruto tried to move as fast as he could through the complicated building, but he wasn’t able to make it up to even the third floor before Sasuke dropped in out of the air before him, catching him in his arms when Naruto nearly bowled the two of them over.

Their foreheads clanked together from the momentum, and Naruto subconsciously realized that if Sasuke weren’t wearing his ANBU mask, their lips might have locked too.

 ~~Again~~. 

 ~~Third time~~. 

~~Distantly, Naruto heard Kurama laugh his ass off inside of him.~~

~~Damn fox.~~

“I guess some things never change,” Sasuke lamented, interrupting Naruto’s thoughts and righting him back onto two feet. And although he couldn’t see Sasuke’s face, Naruto could tell that the other man was smirking at him by his drawling tone, “Which means that dobes will always do dobe things, like be late for their own inaugurations; the ones they’ve been dreaming about since they were… well, even tinier usuratonkachis.”

Naruto just rolled his eyes, abruptly reaching forward to pull off Sasuke’s mask, revealing the other man’s unnecessarily handsome smirk (as expected of Sasuke Uchiha).

“Yeah. I feel bad for you… Having to serve a Hokage who’s a giant ~usuratonkachi~ like me,” Naruto replied.

Sasuke clicked his tongue and stepped forward, smirk turning into a full-blown leer, “First Kakashi, then you; you’ll all be late to your own funerals… Seems like the reputation of Konoha’s leadership is taking a turn for the worse...”

Naruto hmmed low in the back of his throat, bringing Sasuke’s mask up in front of his own face, miming like he was going to put it on himself.

“Definitely for the worse,” he agreed in an artificially lowered tone, parodying Sasuke’s voice, “If only those Senju and Uchiha elders could see Konoha now, they’d probably cry… Last year’s Hokage shifted his entire life philosophy to reflect that of his traitorous Uchiha best friend, and this year’s Hokage is a jinchuuriki who couldn’t accept a reality where _his_ traitorous Uchiha best friend was anywhere but by his side, and chased him across the world to bring him back…”

“When you say it like that it really does sound ridiculous,” Sasuke reflected softly, purposefully not commenting on Naruto’s shitty impersonation of him and instead pulling out the Hokage cloak that he had had been carrying with him for the past hour. He wrapped it around Naruto’s shoulders, and with heavy fingers, secured it with a pin emblazoned with the Uchiha crest.

He let out a shaky breath as Naruto lowered Sasuke's own ANBU mask from before his face, and glanced down at the glossy fan design.

“Thanks,” he said.

Sasuke just nodded, too choked for words.

Earlier, Naruto had asked him if he could have something to represent the Uchiha clan with at his inauguration, and Sasuke had wanted to give him Itachi’s necklace. It seemed most fitting, in his opinion, because the tragedy of the Uchiha Massacre was most painful not because it had... insulted their 'clan image,' or anything like that, but because of what it put the individual Uchiha people – like his brother – through... Moreover, Sasuke himself never wore the crest anymore, but he always wore Itachi’s necklace.

However, Naruto had insisted that he wanted something _instantly_ recognizeable, so everyone would immediately know what his position was on matters like the Massacre, and the necklace was too subtle.

Finally, they had settled on this pin; small, and non-ostentatious, but bright Sharingan red and pure, innocent white.

“It definitely is ridiculous, even I can admit that,” Naruto agreed, grinning after retying Sasuke’s ANBU mask for him, “But what can I say? I really am… just a fantastic shounen manga protagonist? A genuinely… Nice Guy©?”

Sasuke hurriedly gripped Naruto’s hands in his own, lest he break out into that ridiculous... _pose_ he had learned from Gai sensei and Lee.

“Do that ridiculous gesture even once as Hokage, and I won’t hesitate to take you out myself,” he threatened.

Naruto merely stuck his tongue out and gave Sasuke a close-eyed bratty look, which confirmed in Sasuke’s head that this dobe would one hundred percent _do that pose the very_ _moment_ he let go of his hands, because that’s just the type of person he was.

(Sometimes, Sasuke couldn’t believe that he had followed him back to Konoha. Incredible.)

“-And just what the hell are you two gossiping about?” called Kakashi sensei, sticking his head through a window, “I heard from Iruka sensei that you guys already kissed in public, but now you’re _taking each other_ out? Well… whatever Icha Icha activities the two of you have planned, can they wait until after you’ve properly ascended?” Their old sensei shook his head before leaping away, but not before Naruto and Sasuke heard him whine, “How long must my suffering as Hokage continue? I never even _wanted_ to be Hokage!”

Hurriedly, they pulled away from each other and rushed to the ceremony location, arriving a few seconds after their sensei (who shot them a peace sign from behind his back.)

(Damn, Kakashi really was _way_ too fast for someone on the wrong side of thirty-five).

The older man then motioned everyone to stand, clearing his throat, “We are gathered here today to witness the union of… Ehh, wrong speech… Well not wrong speech so much as, it’s still too early for it… Anyways, uhhh, our newly ascending Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto, is a man of many qualities, and I have the privilege of... bestowing upon him the mantle of Hokage... in the hopes that he may continue-”

 

* * *

 

(Sakura couldn't help but raise an eyebrow at Ino.)

(“Why didn’t you write him a better speech?” she asked in whispered tones.)

(Ino, who had been handling Hokage press releases for several years by that point, just sighed, “If only he had _let_ me… Instead, get ready for a _weirdly_ detailed recollection of your bell test, particularly when Kakashi-sensei used his Thousand-Years-of-Death jutsu on Naruto...”)

(Sai leaned forward towards the two women, “That's the one where you anally finger your opponent over their clothes, right?”)

**Author's Note:**

> You know I actually debated using this as my summary instead; 
> 
> BREAKING NEWS! "An intern at Shounen Jump, has leaked Kishimoto-sensei's original draft of NARUTO Chapter 700! The producers of its critically panned spin-off series, Boruto, are furious at these developments and are working to immediately delete the document from the internet! But somehow... Everyone seems to really like the leaked version?... Read it now before it's gone!"
> 
> Alas, I decided to take it in a slightly less Meta direction. LOL
> 
> Also Sai is my problematic favorite =}
> 
> Comment below if you like this one better though! Might change it or use it elsewhere~
> 
> Regardless, if you enjoyed this alternate Naruto ending, please leave me a kudos, bookmark - or even a comment! Would love to have your thoughts! ♡


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